Sewing-machine trimmer



(No Model.) A M W. 1 BEARDSLEE.

SEWING MACHINE TRIMMER. 110.294. 132. 1 .Patented Mar..4,1884.

N. PETERS. mwmm n hu. Wnshiu mu. mc.

NITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. BEARDSLEE, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,432, dated. March 4, 1884.

I i Application filed July 16,1883. (No model.)

' companying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like'parts.

This invention has reference to-mechanism for trimming the edge of knit fabrics while being sewed by a sewing-machine, either specially adapted or of ordinary construction.

My invention, although more specially designed for trimming knit fabrics, can be used on various other material.

rapidly and accurately, and which,while trimming the material-parallel with the seam, may

be adjusted laterally with relation to the needle when it is desired to trim the material more or less distant from the needle. In my'novel organization I employ two disks or cutters of the same or unequal diameter, between which thematerial to be trimmed is passed, the said disks being rotated intermittingly in unison with the feed. One of the cutting-disks is arranged with its face substantially parallel with the acting faceof the feed-dog or with the support on which the material being sewed rests; but the other cutting-disk co-op-' crating with it is set with its face at an angle to the face of the disk first referredto. In connection with these cutting-disks, besides a suitable feed and presser-foot,l use a smoother composed of an arm, preferably attached to the presser-foot and adapted to bear upon the material being trimmed outside the seam when the presser-foot is down and the disks are at rest, to prevent the material from curling up or plaiting while the operator is holding the- 5o ming mechanism containing two rotating cutting-disks, one of which has its face substantially parallel with the acting face of the feed or with the face of the work-support,while the second disk has its face set at an angle thereto, the edges of the said disks being arranged with relation to each other to form a common cutting-point, the edges of both disks operatingat thesame time to sever the material at the same point. I

My invention also consists in other combinations ofmechanism, which will be hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a Willcox & Gibbs sewing-machine with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the linear: 00, Fig. 1,

looking down. Fig. 4-is a section on the line as m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 8 on the dotted line Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 on the dotted line 00 Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 5 on the dotted line :0 Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 5 on the dotted line 00 Fig. 9 is a'plan view of the presser-foot and smoother attached to it. Fig. 10 is a detailillustrating a lifter, to be described. Fig. 11 is a modification, to be referred to; and Fig. 12 is a detail of the screw and plate instrumental in adjusting the attachment-frame laterally with relation to the needle and line of feed.

' In the drawings, the frame-work A, needleactuating arm A, needle-bar A presser-bar A and rotating hook-shaft A, and cloth plate or support A are all as in the Willcox & Gibbs machine, so need not be herein further described. Upon the presser-bar I apply the resser-foot a, it having.- projecting from one side of it. the smoother-d-eithera rigid or elastic arm-the under side of which is sufficiently high to rest upon the material above that one of the cutting-disks, b, the face of which is parallel with'the acting face of the. feed I) or the work-support, while the under portion of the main part of the said presserfoot rests upon the material above the regular This smoother,

usual feeding device retires from engagement therewith, and while the cutting-disks are at rest and the usual needle is in the material. The hook'shaft Ahas attached to it a suitable cam, c, which acts upon a lever or arm, 0, having a suitable pawl, which engages a ratchet, 0, fast on the main shaft (1 of the trimming attach ment, the said cam and pawl and ratchet impart-ing to the said shaft an intermitting motion of greater or less extent, according to the length of the stroke it is desired to impart to the cutters, that being in proportion to the length of feed; but instead of the particular pawl and ratchet shown, I desire it to be understood that I may employ a friction-pawl mechanism of any usual and suitable construction, and any usual means may be employed to move the arm 0' a greater or less distance, and consequently turn the shaft (2 more or less at each rotation of the hookshaft. The detent S prevents retrograde movement of the shaft (1. The shaft (7 has its bearing in suitable ears, d, of the attachment-frame d, the latter having a baclnvardly-extended arm, (1, and a cap or cover, d, making a box-like head, to inclose the gearing to be described. The cap is attached by screws 2. The end of the shaft (Z is provided with a bevel-gear, 0, having a bevelgear, 6, attached to it. The gear e engages a gear, f, fast on an inclined shaft, 3, having its bearlngsintheattachment-frame,and provided at one end with the cutting-disk g, the face of which is set at an inclination with relation to the face of the cutting-disk I), which disk b is attached to the lower end of ashaft, b, which also has its hearings in the said attachment frame, both of the said disks being made movable bodily with the said frame. The lower end of the shaft 3, opposite that carrying the cutting-disk g, is surrounded by a spring, 9, and has one or more nuts, 9, attached to it, so that the said spring acts to normally draw the said shaft longitudinally and keep the cuttingedge of the disk 9 in proper cutting position with relation to the edge of the co-operating cutting-disk 6, thus enabling the two edges of the said cutters to always operate together properly, notwithstanding wear, and materially aid in keeping the cutting-edges of the disks in good working order. As the shafts 3 and I) cross each other, the edge of the disk 9 would apparently not come into the proper place with relation to the edge of the disk I); but as the disk 9 drops slightly below the cutting-edge of the disk I), the cuttingedges of the two disks are brought in such position that the edge of g comes to the edge of disk I) in its central line. The spring keeps the edge of disk gagainst the edge of disk D, and as heavy material requires greater power to cut it than light material, the pressure between the disks may be properly varied by adjusting the nuts thus more or less compressing the spring 51. The shaft bdcrives its motion of rotation from the bevel-gear e, which engages the bevel-gear adjustable manner upon a screw, h, fastened to the frame A, and at opposite sides of the said arm the said screw is provided with two adjustable nuts, h h", the movement of the said nuts in the same direction on the screw enabling them to adjust the rear end of the said arm backward or forward with relation to the shaft A", and when such adjustment is made the screws 6 6, extended through slots 16 in the adjustable plate into the attachmentframe, will be loosened, thus permitting the head part of the said frame to be adjusted backward or forward in the direction of the feed, so as to place the cutting-points of the said disks more or less close to the needle. The face of the cutting-disk bis parallel, or substantially so, with the acting face of the feed and of the usual cloth-plate, or the throat plate therein, and for most of the time the lower end of shaft 1) will just touch the cloth-plate A. The attachment-frame is held at the proper height, so as to place the said cutting-disk in proper relation to the cloth-plate by means of the screws 6 6 inserted through the plate 2', forming part of a yoke, m, having suitable ears, m m", which receive a screw, on, the threaded shank of which is extended through a threaded hole made in the head of the machine, between the needle and presser bars, the rotation of the said screw, by engaging its head m, causing the plate 1' to be moved lengthwise of the machine, or laterally with relation to the needle and the direction of the feed. During this adjustment of the cutting attachment to trim the material more or less distant from the line of stitching produced by the needle, the thread, and sewing parts, the nuts h h holding the rear end of the v extension (1, are loosened. This adjustment may be made while the machine is stitching. The width of cam or eccentric c is sufficient to enable the cam to always actuate the lever c, which is instrumental in moving the shaft (1.

In order to raise or lead the material being stitched and trimmed up to the level of the face of the cutting-disk b, I have attached to the usual cloth-plate by a screw, it, in front of the needle, alifti11g-plate,11/,the edge of which is beveled. Instead, however, of this liftingplate, the cloth-plate might be cut out and the cutting-disk b be placed in it with its upper side or face flush with the cloth-plate. The disk b is herein shown as larger in diameter than the disk g, to gain width for the reception between the disks of the edge of the material to be trimmed, the space into which the edge to be trimmed off passes being limited, it will be seen, by the diameter of the disk I). The

milled wheel 0 on the shaft d permits the cutting-disks to be operated by hand when starting to trim an article or for any other purpose desired. The disk I) having been arranged with its face or upper side in proper position with relation to the cloth-plate and acting face of the feed, the face of the disk 9 may be more or less inclined with relation'to the face of the are essentially simultaneous and the disks disk bas, for instance, it may be arranged at kept sharp, as specified.-

an acute angle, as in Figs. 1 to 8, or may be at an obtuse angle, as-shown in Fig. 11; but in this latter event the shaft 1/ would be extended downward, and be driven from the hook-shaft by gearing located below the cloth-plate;

The mechanism for driving the two disk cutters having the described arrangement with relation to each other and the feed and the cloth-work support may bevariously modified, according to the sewing-machine with'which the said disks are to be employed, and this without departing from my invention. By raising the disk b sufficiently above the clothplate to pass beneath it one part of the material being sewed, a single thickness of the said material beyond the line of stitching joining it with the material extended under the disk 12 may be inserted between the disks and be cut off parallel with the seam. This plan permits the edge of a hem to be cut off.

I am aware that two disks or circular knives arranged at the ends of two horizontal shafts have been used to out different materials, and to cut cloth or other material for hat-work; but in no instances known to-me have two cutting-disks been arranged to trim material parallel with an irregular or curved line of stitching being made. Two rotating cuttingdisks attachedto horizontal shafts such as heretofore employed cannot be combined with a sewing mechanism to cut or to trim the edge of material close to the seam or line of stitching, and as the seam is being made in curved or irregular lines. g

I am aware that a single cutting-disk having a truly circular cutting-edge and a single disk having an irregular edge have been used to trim material close to theseam or line of stitching being made.

The smoother, instead of being attached to the presser-foot pad, may be pivoted at some other point on the presser-bar' and be made adjustable vertically;

I have herein .described my improved trimming mechanism as adapted for use in connection with a sewing-machine; but it is obvious that the same would operate to cut cloth, 850., if driven by other mechanism than a sewing machine, and it could be made to cut'fabrics which were not being sewed on a sewing-machine.

I claim- 1. The combination, with an organized sew- 2. In a sewing-machine, the rotating cutting- ,disk b, having its face arranged substantially mechanism in a sewing-machine, of a rotating cutting-disk, b, adapted to rotate in a plane substantially parallel with the acting face of j the feed or the face of the work-support, arotating disk, adapted to rotate in a plane angular thereto, an attachment-frame to support the shafts of the said disks, and means to adjust the said frame horizontally while the machine is in operation,- substantially as described.

4. The combination, with stitch forming mechanism in asewing-machine, of a rotating cutting-disk, b, adapted to rotate in a plane substantially parallel with the acting face of the feed or the face of the work-support, arotating disk, 9, adapted to rotate in a plane angular thereto, an attachment-frame to support the shafts of the said disks, and means to adjust the said frame backward and forward with relation to the feed of the material,

anism of a sewing-machine, of a rotating disk,

I), having its face arranged substantially parallel with the cloth-support, a cutting-disk, having its face placed at an angle thereto, and an attachment-frame supported above the cloth-plate, leaving a space between the trimming mechanism and the cloth-plate, substantial] y as described.

7. In a sewing-machine, the combination,

ICO

with stitching mechanism and two rotating cutters, I; 9, having their faces placed at an angle with relation to each other, as shown and described, of a presser-foot and a smoother to hold at both sides of the disk 9 the material being sewed andtrimmed, substantially as described.

8-. The stitch-forming mechanism of a sewtrimming mechanism for attachment thereto,

the latter comprising two cutting-disks and means to positively rotate each, one of such disks having its face substantially parallel with relation to the acting face of the feed or worksupport, while the face of the other disk is arranged at an angle thereto, so that the meeting edges of such disks constitute a common cutting-point located at a point substantially diametrically opposite the needle and stitching point, as shown and described, whereby the stitching and cutting operations are essentially simultaneous, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM F. BEARDSLEE.

\Vitnesscs:

G. \V. GREGORY, \V. II. SIGSTON. 

